It is rich for the Government to attack the Australian Football League (AFL) for being soft on drugs when the Government is soft on Australia’s binge drinking culture.

Just today a study released by the Government’s own drug advisory board has revealed that one in eight children aged two to 12 live in homes with at least one binge-drinking parent. That is horrifying.

Social drinking is fine. But Australia has a binge drinking culture which the Government is doing little about.

We must change our culture which celebrates alcohol and accepts drunkenness and binge drinking. We need to adopt a policy of zero tolerance and create a responsible drinking culture.

Alcohol is killing increasing number of Australians, particularly young Australians, and tough action is required. The health, social and economic costs are huge and estimated to be $7.6 billion every year.

FAMILY FIRST’s campaign to reduce the alcohol toll includes a 10-point action plan which has been endorsed by one of Australia’s top health experts, Dr Alex Wodak from Sydney’s St Vincent’s Hospital.

Dr Wodak said many more families were damaged by alcohol than illegal drugs and commended FAMILY FIRST for taking up an important issue the major parties have ignored, because of the alcohol industry’s influence.

As part of its 10-point action plan, FAMILY FIRST wants:

 a ban on sports stars and celebrities being used to promote alcohol;

 graphic warning labels on alcohol;

 an increase in the alcohol tax;

 0.00 per cent blood alcohol content (BAC) for all drivers under 25; and